Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu

Slow Cooker Short Rib Ragu is incredibly easy to make yet tastes like a gourmet meal. This short rib ragu is sure to impress your dinner guests.

Anyone who knows me will tell I’m a huge pasta girl. I could eat pasta every single day and never get tired of it.

This girl loves her carbs! For real.

Every time I travel for work I take the opportunity to try great pasta recipes from wherever I happen to be. It’s always my go-to when ordering off a menu.

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Last year I was in Utah for a video workshop and I was having a horrible time with some health issues and my stress level was through the dang roof.

I’d recently been put on blood pressure medication but they hadn’t really regulated the proper dosage before I flew out of the country.

When I arrived in Utah my legs and feet had swollen up about 3 times their normal size. I looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters!! No joke!

As you can imagine, having your legs swell like that is not much fun. In fact, it’s incredibly painful. I spent a few days in Utah in utter agony.

I already have issues travelling because I have IBD and severe anxiety so I was super close to a complete and utter breakdown.

Luckily I was rooming with the very best friend a girl can have. Her name is Liz and many of you know her as That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

Liz is a fellow blogger I met through work and instantly bonded with. We have travelled together about a dozen times now. Hopefully there are dozens more trips in our future!

Aside from my daughter, Liz is the only person in the world who makes me feel comfortable when travelling. She never makes me feel like an outsider because of my illness.

She knows I don’t travel easily because of my health issues. Yet she never bats an eyelash over my antics or meltdowns. She stays calm and keeps me from spinning out of control.

Friends like Liz are rare in life. I would be lost without her. I owe her a lifetime of gratitude for her kindness and friendship.

Now you’re wondering what all this has to do with pasta and restaurants. Am I right? I know, I steered the bus way off course there. It’s okay. I’m getting there.

On our last night in Utah I was craving comfort food something awful. I had barely eaten for 3 days because I was not feeling well and didn’t want to cause any tummy issues.

We were hanging out in our hotel room with our pal, Sabrina of Dinner then Dessert. We were gabbing about all things blogging and life.

I was starving so I ordered some room service. They had a short rib ragu on the menu so I jumped at the chance to try a bowl. Needless to say it was divine.

I love short rib ragu but rarely make it because I’m usually so busy. So, I decided to come up with any easy hands-off recipe I could make in my slow cooker.

This is one of those recipes everyone should have in their recipe binder. It’s so incredibly easy to make but the flavour is out of this world.

I highly recommend you make this as soon as possible. Then invite your own “Liz” over to share a bowl with you! Life is about appreciating the people who make your world a happier place!

Tips for making slow cooker short rib ragu:

If you have the time for it, I recommend searing your meat. It adds incredible flavour. Especially if you scrape all the brown bits off your pan. There’s flavour in the brown.

If you don’t have time to sear the meat it’s okay. This recipe was tested both ways and I promise you it’s still going to be amazing if you skip searing. The photos in the post are from a batch I did not sear.

Pick good quality boneless short ribs. I buy mine from Costco or my local butcher.

Use good quality tomatoes. San Marzano are epic. If you can find them, use them!

Be patient! Personally I prefer this one cooked on the low setting. I’m not a big fan of the high setting for this particular recipe. I feel the same way about slow cooker mashed potatoes.

If you can find fresh herbs you can use them. Good quality fresh herbs are hard to find here in cooler months.

You can drain off some of the liquid from the sauce once it’s cooked. That’s a personal choice.

Be creative! If you like chipotle peppers in adobo then add some. If you love jalapeno peppers, add them. Make this recipe your own!

If searing meat, do so in a very hot pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear over high heat until all sides are browned. Working in small batches and transfer to a plate as you cook each piece. Scrape bits off pan by adding a little water to pan and cooking over high heat, scraping the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Pour over meat. Set aside.